JAMMU, August 25, 2006.
The birth anniversary of Mother Teresa is being celebrated by various
social organizations and Missionaries of Charity world-wide tomorrow by
organizing functions and programmes in memory of this great lady. Agnes
Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa was born on 26th August 1910 at
Skoplje in Yugoslavia. Her family belonged to the Albanian minority
living in Serbia.
In 1920, Agnes went to study in Croatia where she heard about India and
the work of the Catholic Missionaries in West Bengal through letters sent
by a Jesuit missionary. This made her wish to come to Bengal as a
missionary. On 26 September 1928, Asgnes travelled to Ireland to become
a Loretto nun at Dublin. On 6th January 1929, she was sent to Darjeeling.
In 1931 , she took the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience
and changed her name to Teresa.
She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata and went on to become its
headmistress. In 1946, she decided to devote her life to the poor. In
1948, she was granted the privilege of living outside the convent. She
took a crash course in medical aid at the hospital of the American
Medical Missionaries Sisters at Patna. On return to Kolkata, she worked
in the slums.
In February 1949, Mother began to draft the Constitution of the
Missionaries of Charity, which received approval by a decree from the
Vatican. On 22 August 1952, the Home for the Dying and Destitute was
opened at Kalighat and also the Home for children. The Missionaries of
the Charity attracted people from various walks of life. Thus grew the
international Association of the Co-workers of Mother Teresa.
1063 saw the expansion of Missionaries of Charity, which extended beyond
the limits of Kolkata and is still growing as more houses are being
opened and more nuns being trained. Her foundations are at Venezuela,
Rome, Australia, Jordan, Gaza, North Yemen, Ethipia, Tanzania,
Philippines, New Guinea, Belgium, Germany, Holland, the US, Colombia,
Peru, Fiji, Papua etc.
Mother Teresa was given many international and national awards in
recognition of her humane work, first, the Megsaysay Award, then the
Templeton Prize, the Nobel Peace Price, BHARAT RATTAN AND THE Kennedy
Prize. On 05 September 1997, Mother passed away in Kolkota, mourned by
the entire world.
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